Indiana University football coach Curt Cignetti is expecting a better performance by his team Friday against Notre Dame than in last month’s loss at Ohio State.
It was the only loss of the season for the Hoosiers – and the only ranked team IU will have faced before Friday’s College Football Playoff game in South Bend.
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“You know, they're going to be excited to play and excited to prove something,” Cignetti said Monday at a news conference. “I don't think anyone was happy with the way we came out of Ohio State.”
Ohio State had a crowd of more than 105,000. A raucous atmosphere at Notre Dame Stadium is expected because it’s a night game in the inaugural 12-team playoff format and because of the in-state matchup.
Cignetti hopes his team applies the lessons of the loss to the Buckeyes.
“You know, giving up 14 points on the punt team and then having some of the communication breakdowns we had on pass pro,” he said. “We didn't give ourselves a chance to play offense. But I think our guys have learned from that too and we'll be better in a hostile environment.”
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